IKF-A
Grading Policy
Approved: 6-12-07
Revised 6/10/15
Consolidates Policy IKF-SP1 “Student Aides and Credit,” District Grading Guidelines, and includes other District grading practices.
Philosophy:
The South Sanpete Board of Education recognizes that grades are one of several factors that help identify a student’s level of mastery of the objectives and concepts of a course, class, or subject. Student assessment and grade reporting shall be a tool to measure learning, growth, progress, and the development of the student. Although the grading process is important, the real educational focus shall be on learning.
Policy:
Within the general guidelines of this Policy, schools and individual teachers may set additional grading policies in their schools and for their individual classes. As these are established, teachers shall keep in mind that students respond more positively to opportunities for success and learning rather than to threats of failure.
1. Course Disclosure
The criteria and standards for grades must be made known to the students and parents. Teachers are responsible for providing a written copy of the course requirements to all students and parents within the first two weeks of the student’s entrance into the class. It is recommended that this copy have a detachable portion for both student and parent to sign. The signature portion is returned to the teacher and the student and parent may keep the course requirement portion. The course disclosure may include criteria and standards regarding the following:
- The major goals of the course,
- The method(s) of grading,
- The major requirements of the course,
- The criteria and standards necessary for successful completion, and
- Others as deemed appropriate in relationship to the course.
2. Reduction of Grades
Grades should not be reduced for punitive reasons except as articulated in the grading criteria and standards of the class. Individual teachers may include attendance and/or behavior in the grading standards for their classes as part of the professional, subjective evaluation of student performance. School-excused absences do not count against a student’s grade; however, students are required to complete all assignments for those absences.
3. Grade Changes
Once a grade has been awarded to a student and recorded on his/her report card and/or transcript, no one is authorized to change that original grade except the teacher who awarded the grade. A teacher who desires to change a grade shall personally complete the school’s “Grade Change Form,” sign it, and return it to the counseling office. The counselor will then change the grade and record the new grade on the transcript. The Form shall be kept on file until the student has graduated or his/her class has graduated. Normally, grade changes should occur within the following quarter after the grade was originally issued.
Grade changes may also occur under the following circumstances:
- Grades such as an Incomplete (I) or a No Grade (NG) may be changed automatically to a Failure (F) grade due to previously established timelines in accordance with school and District grading guidelines.
- A student who repeats a class in order to improve upon an original grade may do so providing it is the same class, credit, and course content. Students desiring to repeat a class with this intent must receive prior approval from the original teacher and counselor. The grade earned by repeating a class shall replace the original grade.
- With prior approval and for extreme or extenuating circumstances, the principal may authorize a grade change, e.g., a student receives a grade 4th quarter and the teacher leaves the District for another job. Any such grade change would need to be documented and verified by the counselor and the teacher who serves as chair of that department. In addition, a record would be kept as to why it was changed, what extra-work was completed, who authorized it, etc.
4. Notice of Failure
Whenever a student’s performance places him or her in imminent danger of failing a class or losing credit in a class, the teacher shall notify the student’s parent/guardian by sending a deficiency notice to them. Whenever possible, a teacher may also make a phone call, a personal contact with parents, or send a written note to notify parents of problems or deficiencies. Teachers shall also be willing to meet with students and offer assistance as needed throughout the year.
If a failing grade (F) is given, and a teacher has not provided notice to the student or his/her parents/guardians, the student may be given an opportunity to remedy the deficiency and have the failing grade changed within a reasonable amount of time during the succeeding grading period (usually two weeks).
5. Grading Guidelines
A. Student Aides
1. Of the 28 credits needed for graduation, only one of those credits may come from being a student aide. The
credit earned from being a student aide shall be an elective credit. In order for a student to be a student aide,
he/she must be either a junior or a senior.
2. Students who serve as student aides shall be graded on a Pass/Fail basis.
3. No teacher may allow a student to register for a regular class, use that student for an aide in that class, and
then give him/her a letter grade, i.e., A, B, C, or D.
B. Incomplete (I)
Students who receive an Incomplete (I) have two weeks after the quarter grades are posted to complete the required
work. Incompletes that are not made up in this time frame will be changed to an “F” grade at the end of the two-week
period.
C. No Grade (NG)
A No Grade (NG) may be given to a student who has extenuating circumstances and needs more than two weeks to
complete the required work. A student who receives a NG will have until the first day of the next quarter to complete
the required work. On the first day of the next quarter, the NG will be changed to either an “F” or the grade earned.
D. Failing Grade (F)
A Failing Grade (F) is meant to be a final grade and the grade is not intended to be changed; however, it may be changed by the following:
1. Getting special permission from the teacher to re-do class work due to extenuating circumstances,
2. Re-taking the same class next quarter (if it is offered), during the summer, or the following school year, or
3. Taking a comparable class with prior-approval given by the original teacher and counselor.
Once the approved make-up class or required work has been completed, the grade earned will replace the “F” on the transcript.
Note: The UHSAA eligibility guidelines state that once a student receives an “F” grade, a grade change does not make them eligible. The grade is final when it is posted and the only exception to that is if a teacher has made an honest mistake.
E. Odyssey
Odyssey classes shall be graded on a Pass/Fail (P/F) basis.
The only way for a student to earn credit through Odyssey is through a cooperating, accredited teacher who has approved the Odyssey curriculum. The curriculum approved may include outside work in addition to the Odyssey lessons completed at school. Once the curriculum has been determined and approved by the teacher, the Odyssey facilitator shall monitor and over see the completion of the work. Once the work has been completed, it shall be reviewed by the teacher, and the teacher shall issue the credit and a Pass or Fail grade. The only credit available through Odyssey shall be for classes that are being taken for credit recovery (previously failed classes), credit deficiency, maintaining graduation status, or special circumstances approved by the cooperating teacher, counselor and principal.
6. Academic Eligibility
Academic eligibility for school-sponsored activities and UHSAA activities are established by (1) a student’s previous quarter grades, (2) UHSAA guidelines, and/or (3) school/District policies. It is a privilege and not a right for any student to participate and represent his/her school in any leadership position, school-sponsored activity, or UHSAA activity. Academically, a student must meet the following requirements each quarter to be eligible to participate in activities or represent his/her school:
A. A student must pass all of his/her classes the previous quarter and have a minimum GPA of 2.0 each quarter.
B. A student who has a NG or an I grade on his/her report card is not eligible to participate until that student has
completed the required work to receive a passing grade and has also met the requirements stated in item A.
C. A student who has an F grade on his report card is not eligible to participate the next quarter. UHSAA Reference: 5
(D) of this Policy.
D. A school and/or certain extra-curricular activities may have additional or higher academic requirements than stated in
this Policy
E. The eligibility for eighth grade students who want to participate in high school activities during 1st quarter of their f
reshmen year shall be established by the grades they received 4th quarter or make-up classes during the summer. To
be eligible, these students must meet the requirements stated in A thru D.
7. Transfer Students
A. When secondary students transfer into South Sanpete School District an effort shall be made to coordinate classes
from their previous school to their new classes. Credit and grades shall be based upon the following:
1. Only credit from accredited institutions shall be accepted from transfer students.
2. Students transferring into a school at the beginning of a quarter (one to three weeks) shall receive their
quarter grades and credits based primarily on SSSD classes.
3. Students transferring into a school in the middle of a quarter (four to seven weeks) shall have their quarter
grades and credits averaged together between the two schools.
4. Students transferring into a school near the end of a quarter (eight to ten weeks) shall primarily receive
their grades and credits from their previous school.
5. Due to unusual circumstances and differing class schedules, school administration, counselors, and
respective teachers have the flexibility and authority to award grades and credits to transfer students
based upon satisfactory alternative requirements being met.
B. B. High school transfer students who transfer from a previous alternative school shall be placed in the District’s
alternative school.
C. Transfer students who have a history of behavior problems may be placed in the District’s alternative school and/or be
admitted on a contractual-probationary basis.
D. High school transfer students who have not previously attended public schools shall be admitted and registered under
District Policy IKF-1.
E. The District may or may not accept transfer students who do not reside within District boundaries.
F. The District shall not accept special education transfer students unless they live within District boundaries with a
parent or a legal guardian.
G. The eligibility for transfer students shall be established through the UHSAA guidelines.
8. Elementary Grades
Elementary schools in the District do not award grades and credit. Students’ progress shall be based upon mastery of basic skills through a variety of assessments and shall be reported to parents at parent/teacher conferences.
Additional Policy References:
Policy JECB “Resident and Non-Resident Student Transfers
ECB-6 “Process for Placement of Students Leaving Group Homes/Private Schools”
GBH “Alternative School Programs”
IKF-1 “Early Graduation Requirements”
Policy IKF-SP “Non-District Courses”
